Constitution Day, along with Independence Day and Presidents; Day, is an important part of the cultural heritage of the United States of America, because it recognizes the value of the American experiment, and the success of a nation of free people whose rights and liberties are protected by a written Constitution.

1. THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
The History of Constitution Day
Citizens of the United States have celebrated Independence Day and Presidents’ Day since the
1870s, and in 2005, the nation began to celebrate Constitution Day. Also know as Citizenship
Day, Constitution Day is an American holiday honoring the day 39 delegates to the
Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution. This historic date was
September 17, 1787.
In 1939, the New York City news tycoon
William Randolph Hearst suggested the
creation of a holiday to celebrate American
citizenship. Not only did Hearst have a wide
readership of his many daily newspapers, but
he had significant political connections, and
in 1940, Congress designated the third
Sunday in May as “I am an American Day.”
President Harry Truman present the resolution, setting aside this date in honor of the American
people, especially those who had recently become citizens of the United States.
The holiday quickly gained support and popularity through the efforts of the United States
Immigration and Naturalization Service. Additionally, in 1944, Hearst sponsored a 16 minute
film titled I Am an American, which was featured in American theaters, and subsequently
became a top news story. It was an immediate hit. Within 5 years, the governors of the existing
forty-eight states had issued state proclamations in agreement with the national holiday.
One of the most significant individuals in the development of the holiday was a Louisville, Ohio
resident named Olga T. Weber. In 1952, she petitioned the leaders of the municipality to change
the date of the holiday to correspond with the anniversary of the signing of the United States
Constitution. Once they agreed to it, she didn’t stop there, and took her requests to the State, who
also approved. In 1953, Olga went to United States Congress, and both the Senate and the House
of Representatives approved her requests. The original resolution was overturned and a new law
took its place. After Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it, the “I am an American Day” observation
became “Citizenship Day” and moved to September 17.
Louisville, Ohio was the first city in the United States to celebrate Citizenship Day on September
17, 1952.
Another important figure in the creation of Constitution Day is Louise Leigh. Leigh, after taking
a course in Constitutional History with the National Center for Constitutional Studies, was
inspired to spread her newfound love of the Constitution throughout the country. In 1997, she

2. founded a nonprofit organization called Constitution Day, Inc. to help encourage recognition of
the importance of this national holiday.
Through her efforts, Constitution Day became an official holiday alongside Citizenship Day in
2004 when, with the help of support from Senator Robert Byrd, the “Constitution Day”
amendment to the Omnibus Spending Bill passed. In May 2005, the United States Department of
Education backed the law when it announced that it would apply to any school receiving federal
funds of any kind.
The two allowances of the law were that the head of every federal agency provide each employee
with educational materials concerning the Constitution on 17th of September and that each
educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every
Constitution Day.
The Constitution
Constitution Day, along with Independence Day and Presidents’ Day, is an important part of the
cultural heritage of the United States of America, because it recognizes the value of the
American experiment, and the success of a nation of free people whose rights and liberties are
protected by a written Constitution.
The Constitution consists of a preamble, seven original articles, twenty-seven amendments, and a
paragraph certifying its enactment by the constitutional convention.
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is
the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of
America and the Federal Government of the United States. It provides the framework for the
organization of the United States Government and for the relationship of the Federal government
to the States, to citizens, and to all people within the United States.
The Constitution defines the three main branches of government: a legislature, consisting of the
House of Representatives and the Senate; an executive branch led by the President; and a judicial
branch headed by the Supreme Court. The Constitution outlines the powers and duties of each
branch.
The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, 224 years ago, by the
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ratified by conventions in each
U.S. state in the name of “The People”. The Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times;
the first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
The United States Constitution is the shortest and oldest written constitution in the world.
The Constitution has a central place in United States law and political culture. The handwritten,
original document is on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in
Washington, D.C.
Articles of the Constitution

3. The Constitution consists of a preamble, seven original articles, twenty-seven amendments, and a
paragraph certifying its enactment by the constitutional convention.
Preamble: Statement of purpose
The Preamble states:
” We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the Common Defense, promote the General Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America. ”